Romans 6:1-14
This passage changed my life a decade ago, striking a crucial blow to my sinfulness.
Legalism vs. License
One the one hand, God calls us to be holy. On the other hand, the radical grace of the gospel gives radical freedom to all who accept it. In Jesus, we receive God’s maximum love all the time, if we’re giving to the poor or refusing to forgive someone. So why bother with holiness?
Radical Change
It’s true. The radical grace of the gospel gives believers radical freedom, but it also brings radical change. Becoming a Christian is not experiencing reform, but rebirth. It is not committing to improvement, but experiencing transformation. It is not becoming a better caterpillar, but a butterfly – a completely new creation with new abilities.
Therefore, questions of legalism vs. license are never fully addressed on the action level; but on the identity level.
Dead to Sin
This passage makes a staggering claim regarding the Christian’s new identity. It states that a Christian has died to sin (and the part of them that must sin) and is separated from it as though it were left at the bottom of the baptismal pool (v.3), buried in a tomb (v.4), or hanging dead on a cross (v.6). And since the Christian’s sin nature is pronounced dead upon conversion, he is freed from it, like an abused slave at last finding freedom from his cruel master (v.6-7).
But We Still Sin
This passage makes big claims about what has already happened for the Christian and what will happen (verses 5, 8, and 14). But what about right now? If all this is true, why do Christians still struggle with sin? If we’re butterflies now, why do we still gravitate toward the ground?
It is as though the forces of good and evil (God and sin) were at war. Jesus secured the complete victory when he rose from the dead. The war is won. Christians are on the victorious side. Sin is defeated. But until Jesus returns to finish vanquishing all the pockets of resistance, battles will continue. And here’s how to fight:
1. Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God (v.11)
Based on what’s already true (the war is won) and looking forward to what’s to come (the enemy’s final and complete vanquishing), the Christian’s battle against sin is primarily one of consideration. This word is a root for our word logic. Properly, it means to compute. It is to reason logically to a firm conclusion. Christians must daily remember that sin has no authority over them. The victory is already decided. They are free from sin’s rule to pursue God.
2. Let not sin reign in your body (v.12)
Note how passive this is. Sin will always be working its way into the empty cavities of your life. Because he has been transformed into a new, dead-to-sin creature, the Christian has the power to refuse its advances.
3. Present not your members to sin (v.13a)
Now that he is freed from sin, the Christian no longer must bring his eyes, ears, mouth, hands, etc. to sin as instruments of unrighteousness.
4. Present yourselves to God (v.13b)
Instead, the Christian is to bring his entire self to God in service.
Discussion Starters
1. In your experience, what has motivated you to do the right thing (or to stop doing the wrong thing)? In other words, what has historically motivated you not to sin?
2. According to this passage, what is the Biblical motivation not to sin?
3. Scan the passage and find all the things that are already true for the Christian (ex: From v.3, Christians have been baptized into death).
4. Next, scan the passage for all the things that will happen for the Christian (ex: From v.5, Christians will be united with Jesus is resurrection).
5. Finally, scan the passage for all the things we’re to do in the present (Ex: From v. 11, Christians are to consider themselves dead to sin and alive to God).
6. What does it mean to walk in newness of life (v.4)? (See 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Ephesians 4:20-24)
7. What are some practical ways a Christian can obey the commands in verses 11-13?
